Kolkata, Apr 29 (V7N) — After five years, a high-stakes political contest between Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari has once again taken center stage as the second phase of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Election is currently underway.

Voting began at 7:00 AM local time on Tuesday and will continue until 6:00 PM.

A total of 1,448 candidates are contesting across 142 constituencies in this phase, with more than 32.1 million voters expected to cast their ballots. Polling is taking place across key districts, including Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Nadia and Murshidabad.

In the previous 2021 elections, the All India Trinamool Congress secured 123 of these 142 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party won 18.

In the last election, Banerjee and Adhikari faced off in Nandigram. This time, the spotlight has shifted to Bhabanipur, which has emerged as the key battleground in their renewed rivalry.

The first phase of voting in the state took place on April 23, covering 152 constituencies. The final results of the election are scheduled to be announced on May 4.

The ongoing polls are being closely watched, with the outcome expected to have significant political implications for the state.

END/SMA/AJ